LexisNexis® South Africa, a leading provider of legal and professional content and technology solutions, with the approval from the General Council of the Bar of South Africa have put together a sponsorship package to assist 34 newly-qualified advocates in setting up their own practices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban.
LexisNexis hosted four separate Enterprise Development events across the country, where each of the advocates received a Practice Kick-Start sponsorship package—which included the My LexisNexis online research tool, a laptop and a sponsored 3G card for 12 months. The total value of the sponsorship package per recipient is R44 000.00.
Billy Last, CEO of LexisNexis South Africa, spoke of the connection to the company’s underlying purpose to advance the rule of law across the world: “This initiative will make day-to-day legal research faster and easier and will motivate and encourage these advocates to strive for greater heights when practising the law. At LexisNexis we also believe that it is our responsibility as an organisation to make a positive impact to society in assisting and fostering the promotion of entrepreneurship, especially in the form of small businesses.”
One of the sponsorship recipients, Nhlanhla Mfeka from the KZN township of Umlazi who is now a member of the Durban Bar, said: “It means a great deal to me knowing that a company like LexisNexis is making an enormous difference to society and is willing to help young professionals such as myself to succeed.”
Another recipient, Tsungai Phehane from the Pretoria Bar, left her well-paying job as an attorney to pursue her dreams of becoming an advocate. She believes: “Good advocates know the law, know how to find the law and know how to apply the law”—and says this package provides great research tools to enable her to achieve that.
Pictured above: Durban Enterprise Development Event
Front row from Left: Thabo Molefe LexisNexis South Africa Commercial Director, one of the recipients Adv Veryan Reding and CEO of LexisNexis Billy Last
Back Row from left: Adv Nhlanhla Mfeka; Adv Bonginkosi Nduli ; Adv Veli Sibeko and Adv Maleka Andrew Matlamela ( all recipients)
Advocate AT Ncongwane, Deputy Chairman of the Pretoria Bar, said: “Many of our junior colleagues with an abundance of talent find the early years of practice a colossal financial challenge to overcome. This sponsorship will in no doubt, infuse new energy into our junior colleagues and will go a long way to lessen the burden and reduce the frustration that comes with setting up a practice.”
“It is my sincere wish that this program be continued in the coming years and also be extended to the other smaller constituent bars as this will tremendously contribute to rendering excellent legal service to the entire South African community,” concluded Ncongwane.
Other efforts to uphold the rule of law led by LexisNexis include the launching of South Africa’s first ever Anti-Human Trafficking Compendium in partnership with the South African Police Service to help combat this heinous crime. The company’s employees also spend time during the year at local charity organisations. In January 2013, the company donated R10 000.00 to a shelter for abused women and children, The Open Door Crisis Care Centre, in KwaZulu-Natal.
Anyone who would like more information about the LexisNexis Enterprise Development initiative can contact Neliswa Hlombe at LexisNexis on +27.31.268.3284
